<b>Health conditions of elderly attended in a clinic of physiotherapy of the state university of the southwest of Bahia</b> - DOI: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v7i2.4998

Abstract

Due to the changes occurred in the 20th century, the seniors' population increased significantly. Associated to this growth, the phenomenon of epidemic transition with greater incidence of non-transmissible chronic diseases appeared. The aim of this study was to identify some aspects of the elder health conditions under physical therapeutic treatment in the orthopedic sector of the Physiotherapy School Clinic of the University Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia. It’s a descriptive, cross-sectional study with a retrospective approach. The population consisted of 131 elderly, of both sexes, 60 years of age or older. A form of assessment adapted for the purpose of the study was used, and the data was collected from the records of the patients under treatment. From the results, it was observed that 65.64% of the elderly were female, 85.49% of them reported pain as main complaint, 53.43% suffered from hypertension, 33.59% had arthritis and 57.25% lived a sedentary lifestyle. The present study identified the health conditions of the elderly, thus contributing to the planning and implementation of public policies geared to promote health, prevent diseases and disabilities, as well as the accomplishment of an appropriate therapy based on the functionality and quality of life of that population.